


An Unlikely Pair

by thebluesthour



Series: Yeonbin Oneshots For the Soul [52]
Category: TOMORROW X TOGETHER | TXT (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Confessions, Cute, Dancer Choi Yeonjun, Flirting, Fluff, Kissing, M/M, Pining, Soft Choi Soobin, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-04
Updated: 2020-11-04
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:48:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27381442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thebluesthour/pseuds/thebluesthour
Summary: When Choi Yeonjun, captain of the dance team, shows up at Soobin's debate team meet, Soobin doesn't know what to think of it.
Relationships: Choi Soobin/Choi Yeonjun
Series: Yeonbin Oneshots For the Soul [52]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1870156
Comments: 12
Kudos: 316





	An Unlikely Pair

**Author's Note:**

> PLEASE READ!!!
> 
> Hi guys! So sorry for the gap in posts, I've been focused on real life stuff and so that's taken up some time! 
> 
> AS WELL, I have decided to make "Crossroads" into a chaptered fic because I love it SO much, so please be on the lookout for that! The first two chapters will be the oneshots already posted, but chapter 3 will be new content! I just want to have it pre-written a bit more before I post! I hope you're excited. :') 
> 
> Thank you for this request, I changed it a bit (I didn't want Soobin to be a mathlete because he would hate that haha) I hope you don't mind! 
> 
> Thank you for the birthday messages as well, I had an amazing day! And as always, thank you SO much for your support on my fics! I read every single comment and I appreciate them so much! As well as the kudos, you guys went INSANE the last three instalments so THANK YOU AHHHHH. 
> 
> Okay long author's note is finished now I promise! 
> 
> Leave any requests [ here!](https://curiouscat.me/mapsoftheseouls)
> 
> Not edited.

Soobin grasped each side of the podium as he finished his response. He knew it was over, he could feel the confidence building in him as his opponent shrunk under the weight of his words. And when he ceded the rest of his time to the moderator, he smirked.

His team immediately stood up as the debate was declared finished to congratulate Soobin. He giggled and hugged them back as he sat down to await the judges final decision on who won. He wasn’t nervous, he had stopped being nervous months ago after his third consecutive win.

As he settled though, and the moderator thanked everyone who attended, Soobin looked out at the audience. It was a pretty good turnout, especially since they were on local television (and everyone wanted the chance to be on camera), and it made Soobin happy. As his eyes scanned through, he came across a head of bright pink hair that he hadn’t recognised at any of the other meets, and he faltered.

His lips parted a bit as his eyes widened, and with horror he watched as the boy lifted his eyes and locked gazes with Soobin. As soon as they did, the boy smiled so brightly his eyes disappeared, and waved like a maniac. Soobin’s brows flew up his forehead as he looked at both of his teammates. It was so stereotypical of a high school k-drama he wanted to gag. But when he looked back, the boy was covering his mouth as he giggled, and Soobin blushed bright red. He looked away then, rubbing his hands on his slacks, and focused on the judges, who were still whispering to each other.

His teammate, Taehyun, nudged him in the side. “You alright?” he whispered. Soobin glanced at him, before smiling a bit and nodding.

“Yeah, just nervous.”

Taehyun nodded, slinging an arm around his shoulders in a quick hug before letting him go. Soobin took a deep breath, and while he really wanted to look back at the mysterious pink-haired boy, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to do so without becoming all flustered again. And so he kept his eyes away, and thankfully, the moderator returned to the stage to announce the winner.

And when it was Soobin, he smiled in relief and let himself be tackled in hugs. There was the smattering of applause, and then both teams made to pack up and head out. Soobin only had to go to his own car, which was nice, and he allowed himself one final look out into the crowd.

His heart sunk when he didn’t see anyone with pink hair. He wasn’t sure why he felt kind of sad about it, considering he had no idea who the boy was, but he shook it off. As he walked off the stage, he grabbed Taehyun’s shoulder, walking with him.

“Do you and Beomgyu-ah want to come over? We can watch that one k-drama he’s been telling me about,” he offered.

Taehyun rolled his eyes as he smiled, zipping his jacket up over his polo. “Hyung is obsessed with that drama, I think he loves it more than me,” he replied, giggling. Soobin giggled too, opening his mouth to respond, when he suddenly heard his name.

His head snapped automatically to the right and his pupils dilated as he saw who had called him. It must have been the lights shining in his face onstage mixed with the darkness of the auditorium, but the pink-haired boy was actually Choi Yeonjun, who Soobin knew as Taehyun’s boyfriend’s best friend.

His hair had been blonde the last time Soobin remembered seeing him though, and so he gasped, blushing a little in embarrassment as he bowed. “Yeonjun-hyung!” he exclaimed, looking at Taehyun, who had stopped walking too. Yeonjun bounded up, bright smile on his face. “You did so well! I don’t think I’ve ever heard you speak that much before,” he said, voice high and clear and _wow, he was pretty_.

Soobin always forgot how pretty he was until he saw him up close, and then he remembered why he didn’t let himself interact with the boy too much. Because he had a huge fucking crush on him and couldn’t hold it together for more than five minutes at a time. But that still didn’t help him figure out why the elder was at Soobin’s debate tournament of all things. It’s not like they were super close, and Beomgyu had a track meet so he wasn’t even there.

Soobin accepted the compliment shyly, smiling a bit. “I save my words for when I’m up there,” he responded with. And apparently that was the funniest thing ever to Yeonjun, because he laughed loudly, amazingly, throwing his head back a little, even. He reached out and Soobin blushed as Yeonjun rested a hand on his elbow, giving it a little tug. “What are you doing right now? We should celebrate!” he insisted, looking at Taehyun brightly too.

Soobin swallowed, and Taehyun bowed, taking a step back. “I have to go pick up ‘Gyu, hyung, but thank you for the invite!” He bowed again, gave Soobin a weird smile, and then walked off. Soobin watched him go for a few seconds, before feeling another tug on his elbow. His heart picked up as he turned around, smiling guiltily at Yeonjun, who only beamed back. “Come over! I can make us japchae and rice, your favourite?” he asked, sounding so hopeful Soobin knew he couldn’t refuse.

“You remember my favourite food? You cooked for me once, like two months ago at Beomgyu’s birthday party,” he said, replaying the memory in his head. It was one of many involving Yeonjun that he went over and over in his head. The two didn’t have many one-on-one interactions, which is why Soobin was so confused as to why the boy was here, asking him to come over to his house to _cook_ for him.

Yeonjun laughed, taking a few steps back to subtly pull Soobin along towards the exits together. “Of course I remember,” he replied, finally letting go of Soobin’s arm. The younger missed the contact almost immediately. He blinked a few times, before nodding. “Okay, yeah, that sounds fun,” he answered. Yeonjun’s face broke out into a blissful grin and he clapped his hands together a little. “Meet me at mine in an hour?” he suggested.

Soobin smiled as he acknowledged the elder, and Yeonjun bowed a bit, before taking off. Soobin watched him go, and then walked the opposite direction to where he was parked. As he dug his keys out of his jacket pocket, his mind attempted to make sense of what had just happened.

By the time Soobin showed up at Yeonjun’s place—a cute little _apartment_ because he moved out as soon as he was able to—he still hadn’t figured it out. Yeonjun was captain of the university dance team, wildly popular and well-liked, and really only friends with Soobin by association. Soobin didn’t even know the boy knew he was on the debate team, that’s how not-close they were.

And yet, here Yeonjun was, inviting him over to his place to cook for him in celebration of a debate-well-done. Soobin sighed, knowing he was prone to over-thinking things. For all Yeonjun was, he was also _ridiculously_ kind and sweet, and Beomgyu probably mentioned Soobin’s debate in passing and Yeonjun had a free evening with nothing better to do.

But if this meant he could be better friends with the elder, then he’d take the opportunity. He turned off his car, grabbed the bottle of soju he figured he ought to bring (even if he didn’t think they’d drink it), and walked up to Yeonjun’s door. There was no use trying to calm his racing heart, so he braced himself and knocked twice.

From outside, he could smell the japchae, and it made his mouth water. If anything, at least he’d get a nice meal out of tonight.

The door swung open, and Soobin’s mouth watered for an entirely different reason. Yeonjun looked so effortlessly pretty it kind of stunned Soobin for a moment. He was dressed down in jogging shorts and an oversized blue button-up that he had folded at the sleeves. A white beanie was pulled down over his hair, just the pink tips peeking out, and Soobin wanted to melt.

“Soobinie!”

Soobin’s eyes popped, and he giggled, covering his mouth with his free hand. “Soobinie?” he questioned. Yeonjun’s skin turned dark red, complimenting his pink hair well, and his own eyes widened. He took a step back, looking down, and it dawned on Soobin that the elder was embarrassed. He blushed too, stepping in and closing the door behind him. “It smells really good, hyung,” he said in an attempt to make things less awkward.

Yeonjun’s head snapped up as he snapped out of it, and smiled, grabbing Soobin’s elbow and pulling him to the kitchen. Soobin could kind of get used to be dragged around by the dancer. “It’s slow-cooked, so it’ll be ready in about an hour, I hope that’s okay? I have snacks if you’re hungry now!” he explained, gesturing to the slow-cooker in the corner.

Soobin smiled, shaking his head, before holding out the bottle of soju. “I didn’t have time to go to the store, so I just kind of stole this from Taehyun,” he said lamely. Yeonjun laughed, taking the bottle. His fingers brushed over Soobin’s and he did not feel sparks because that was a cliché and cliches weren’t real. “You stole it from Beomgyu, then,” he remarked. Soobin giggled, and was rewarded with a beautiful smile.

Jesus, he needed to rein it in.

Yeonjun sat the bottle down, before brushing past Soobin and going into his living room. “We can watch something while we wait? Or you can tell me all about how you knew so much about why the minimum wage should be raised,” he suggested, falling down onto the couch. Soobin laughed, sitting down and finally letting his shoulders relax. He leaned against the couch cushions, resting his hands on his knees. “It’s up to you, hyung,” he replied.

Yeonjun shook his head, moving to sit sideways on the couch so he was facing Soobin entirely, one leg tucked underneath him with the other pulled up to his chest. He rested his chin on his knee, and his gaze almost pierced Soobin’s soul. “We’re celebrating you, so you have to choose,” he elaborated.

Soobin chuckled, looking at his hands, mind reeling. He wasn’t sure he wanted to watch anything on TV, but he also wasn’t sure if he’d be able to carry a conversation with Yeonjun. This was already way more interaction than they’d ever had before. He furrowed his brow, wondering what exactly the boy was up to, and if he would ever tell Soobin.

“Yo, I can _feel_ your thoughts, you’re thinking that hard,” Yeonjun interrupted, startling Soobin. The younger flinched, before looking back at the older impishly. Yeonjun only smiled, moving a little closer, tilting his head. “You’re probably confused as to why I invited you over,” he stated, no judgement in his tone.

Soobin swallowed, considered lying, and then opted for the truth. He nodded, twisting a bit too, letting his right leg bend to rest on the cushion a bit. “Yeah, kind of,” he said honestly. Yeonjun smiled a bit, ducking his head. He messed with the cuff on his sleeve, a few silent seconds passing before he spoke again. “I’ve been meaning to…reach out,” he said, forehead wrinkling at his own word choice.

Soobin stayed quiet, listening politely, and Yeonjun sighed, pulling his beanie off to run his hand through his hair. Soobin tracked the movement with his eyes, but kept his face as smooth as possible. “It’s kind of hard to describe…,” he tried again, trailing off. He took another deep breath, and Soobin’s forehead scrunched as he leaned forward. He rested a hand on Yeonjun’s knee.

“Hey, it’s okay, I won’t be mad or anything,” he reassured. He didn’t like how Yeonjun was struggling to articulate himself. Yeonjun laughed a little breathlessly at that, lifting his head to smile kindly at the younger. “You’re so sweet,” he murmured.

Soobin blushed, leaning back and taking his hand with him. Yeonjun exhaled again, deflating almost. Soobin’s heart was working overtime, and if Yeonjun didn’t speak soon, he might just combust.

Soobin bit his lip, and Yeonjun lifted his head, closing his eyes for a moment. Where he was just hyper and enthusiastic, he now just seemed tired and afraid of something. It was a side to the boy that Soobin hadn’t ever seen before. A… _vulnerable_ side.

“I’ve been at your last three debates,” he whispered.

Soobin processed the words, and then his jaw dropped slightly. He went over the last three weeks in his head, only one of those debates was at his own campus. The other two were at campuses across the city. Before he could ask why Yeonjun bothered to travel to see him and didn’t even let Soobin know he was there, the elder continued on.

“I was afraid to tell you until today because…you didn’t ever really seem to notice. Like you would see me in the crowd but you never reacted, so I wasn’t sure what to do,” he sighed, and Soobin felt his own heart break. He would never purposefully ignore his hyung, and he hoped that he knew that.

He reached forward, touching Yeonjun’s knee again. “Hyung,” he said, trying to lighten the mood a bit. “I can’t see anything on stage, the lights are too bright. I only saw you today because of your pink hair,” he explained. He tacked on a smile at the end when Yeonjun’s gaze flickered to him, and it did seem to help the boy relax. It still didn’t solve the mystery of _why_ Yeonjun was at Soobin’s debates, and while Soobin was starting to connect the dots, it was harder for him to believe them to be true.

The older smiled gratefully, before dropping his leg and sitting up straight. “Basically, I have a crush on you, and I’ve been trying to get you to notice for weeks now,” he confessed. He chuckled then at Soobin’s shocked expression. Soobin couldn’t even find it in himself to be embarrassed, features frozen in place as Yeonjun reached into his soul and started latching on.

“But you, beautiful boy, are very oblivious when you want to be,” he teased. At that, Soobin absolutely did feel a huge wave of embarrassment crash into him, and his cheeks burned hotly as he looked down. Yeonjun chuckled, and Soobin felt fingers tickle his cheek. “I think it’s cute,” he whispered.

Soobin exhaled through his nose, turning and leaning back fully against the couch, staring at the ceiling as his cheeks continued to burn. He saw Yeonjun shift in his peripheral vision, and he rotated his head to gaze at him. The older smiled softly, hesitantly holding his hand out. Soobin glanced at it, before placing his hand over top. Yeonjun’s fingers immediately locked around his palm. “I don’t have any expectations, I just needed to tell you before…before it was too late.”

Soobin faltered at that, brows screwing up. “Too late?” he asked. Yeonjun blinked at him, as if the answer was obvious.

“Yeah, before…someone catches your attention,” he said slowly. Soobin furrowed his brows further, sitting up. “Why would someone else catch my attention?” he asked, mind muddled.

Yeonjun’s own irises expanded, and Soobin wanted to scream with how confused he was. Yeonjun was so confusing. “Someone…else? Is there already someone?” the elder asked, and while he tried to keep his tone light, Soobin could detect the slight tone of defeat.

He realised his slip-up instantly then, and his eyes popped as he shook his head. “No!” he cried out. Yeonjun stared at him for a second and Soobin decided to throw all caution to the wind and just be as honest as his hyung had been.

“I like you too, like a lot,” he admitted. His ears turned red, but he ignored the scary feeling of possible rejection in his stomach even though he knew Yeonjun liked him back. “It’s kind of why I avoided being alone with you…I knew you’d notice and I wasn’t sure how you’d react,” he continued, getting quieter as he went.

Yeonjun remained still, staring at Soobin as if seeing him for the first time. The only difference was a slight flush in his cheeks. Soobin decided to stop talking, focusing on his hand still in Yeonjun’s. His fingers hadn’t loosened. Soobin would interpret that as a good thing.

Soobin bit his lip, a million different scenarios running through his head, but Yeonjun was unpredictable.

The older moved then, leaning in to look closely at Soobin’s face. “Guess I was the oblivious one,” he whispered. Soobin could feel his minty breath fan over his face, and he didn’t miss the way his eyes slid down to look at his lips, before moving back to lock with Soobin’s.

Soobin’s breath caught in his throat, and his mouth went dry, and when Yeonjun pressed his lips against his he felt himself fall out of his body and melt into nothingness—the only feeling the pressure of Yeonjun’s soft lips sliding against his. He was extremely gentle, treating Soobin like porcelain, not moving too fast. He pulled away after only a few seconds, and Soobin’s eyes fluttered open. He hadn’t even known they had shut.

He was on cloud ten—one above cloud nine—and his mind was so riddled with racing thoughts and emotions that he couldn’t focus on anything except the pink-haired boy in front of him. Yeonjun stared back at him, eyes a little glassy, and Soobin knew he probably felt the same.

Soobin wasn’t used to Yeonjun being so quiet, and so he figured he could either start talking or kiss him again. He chose the latter.

When he lifted his hand that wasn’t still in Yeonjun’s, he rested it on the back of Yeonjun’s neck and pulled him forward. There was a split-second of surprise resistance before the older let Soobin move him as he wanted, and when their lips met again, it was even better. Soobin kissed the way he had imagined kissing Yeonjun, with more pressure and hints of tongue, and Yeonjun matched it all perfectly. He met each one of Soobin’s movements with his own, and his hand curled against Soobin’s chest.

Their tongues danced, and Soobin felt his entire body grow warm as his heart pumped faster than ever. Yeonjun was addicting, the feel of his lips and the taste of him and the little breaths he would let out when they separated to switch angles. It was beautiful, and Soobin couldn’t believe it was happening. A member of the debate team and the captain of the dance team, what an unlikely pairing. Or maybe it wasn’t. Maybe it was something written in the stars and both of them were too scared to take notice.

By the time they parted, Yeonjun had ended up in Soobin’s lap, his beanie had fallen off at some point, and both boys were breathless and flushed. Yeonjun looked down at Soobin from where he was perched, arms locked around the younger’s neck. Soobin’s neck was tilted back against the back of the couch, and his hands had found homes in the curves of Yeonjun’s waist and he kind of never wanted to move ever again. Yeonjun held himself like a dancer would, so that most of his weight was carried by his own thighs, rather than settling entirely on Soobin.

He slid his hands to the tops of Yeonjun’s thighs, giving a gentle push. “You aren’t going to break me,” he reassured, smiling a little. Yeonjun blushed, but did as he was told, relaxing and letting Soobin feel the weight of him. It wasn’t much, as he expected, and he smiled more at the relieved little sigh Yeonjun let out. He chuckled a bit then, lowering his head and leaning into bump the top of his head to Soobin’s forehead. “This is so crazy,” he laughed.

Soobin giggled too, locking his arms around the older. “I’m only freaking out a little,” he joked. Yeonjun lifted his head to smile at him, one hand coming to stroke the younger’s earlobe. “Food’s ready,” he replied. Soobin hummed, caught in Yeonjun’s stare. They both smiled at each other like idiots, before Soobin took a deep breath and patted Yeonjun’s knees. “Guess you’ll need to get off of me, then,” he pointed out.

Yeonjun groaned dramatically, slouching his back and pushing his lower lip out in a pout. Soobin giggled, patting his knees again and shifting underneath him. Yeonjun pouted some more, but slid off of Soobin’s lap, slumping into the couch. Soobin laughed, standing up and stretching. Yeonjun looked up at him adorably, and Soobin’s stomach twisted. How was he supposed to be able to handle this?

He figured he would just have to learn as he went, so he held out his hand, wiggling his fingers. “If we’re gonna start dating, you should know your puppy-dog eyes will only work once a day,” he teased.

Yeonjun blushed furiously at that, but smiled blindingly, shooting up and grabbing Soobin’s hand. “Deal!” he agreed, before pulling a laughing Soobin into the kitchen. 


End file.
